Thill-coupling.



No. 663,487. Patented Dec. ll, I900.

J. W. BROOKS.

THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1900.,

(No Model.)

m I I I II d lllllllllll' '7.

.fll l 7. v IHHIK M 5 I J mun Z 0., m" 3 WITNESSES: INVENTOR: v

A TT ORJVE Y.

TINY-TE STATES ATENT Finch.-

JAMES W. BROOKS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJUSTIN BENTON, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,487, dated December11, 190i).

Application filed January 30, 1900. Serial No. 8,303. (No model.)

To coZZ whom, it away concern:

Be it known that I, J AMns W. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Thill-Oouplings; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for connecting the thills or shafts ofcarriages and like vehicles to the forward axle thereof and which alsoare adapted to support the thills when not in use in upright positions,so as to take up the minimum amount of floor-space and which are alsoadapted to prevent rattling of the connecting parts when in use.

The object is to provide simple, inexpensive, and reliable devices ofthis character which maybe used by the most inexperienced persons andalso be adapted as well to permit the shafts to be quickly disconnectedwithout the aid of tools, and this is fully attained in my invention,which is, furthermore, du-

0 rable and economical in use.

The invention consists substantially in providing new and novel partswhich operate in conjunction with the old and wellknown form ofcoupling, some of which parts are attached thereto, and in certainimprovements in the details of construction of such couplings; and itconsists, further, in the parts and combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of anaxle-clip to which thills may be coupled and embodying my improvement;Fig. 2, a perspective view of a portion of the shank and coupling end orboss of the thill-iron and showing my improved boss; Fig. 3, aperspective view of my improved coupling-pin, showing the pin-retainer,which is also employed in supporting the thills; Fig. 4, aside elevationof the part illustrated in Fig. 2, but showing more clearly theimprovements in the details of construction of the boss; Fig. 5, aperspective view of my improved and combined antirattling and uncouplingspring and which is employed as an element in automatically putting theshaftsupporting elements into operation and which also may be adapted tobe employed as a clipplate; Fig. 6, a vertical longitudinal centralsectional view of the coupling complete; Fig.

7, a bottom plan view; Fig. 8, a front elevation; Fig. 9, a horizontalsectional view, taken through the center of the pin-holes, showing thepin approximately in a proper position for supporting the shafts andalso as when being inserted and removed; and Fig. 10 a view similar tothat in Fig. 9, but showing the pin in its normal position when theshafts maybe in use.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures of the drawingsdesignate similar parts.

In the drawings, A designates the clip-band, having bolt ends a and aand screw-nuts b and b, all of ordinary and well-known construction, andB and B designate a pair of well-known forms of clip-ears attached tothe band A and having each a pin-hole d therein of uniform diameter andin alinement horizontally, as is customary. In thepin-hole d of one ofsaid ears I cut or form in making the ear a keyway E therethrough,preferably at the rear side of the hole, where there is usually themaximum amount of stock and strength in the ear.

The thill-irons, which are usually bolted to the thills, may be of theusual form generally, the shank 0 having a boss D, in which is apin-hole e atthe free end thereof; but in carrying out my inventionpractically I cut a keyway F in said hole 6 in such position relativelythat it shall not register with the keyway E when the thills are inoperative positions, but shall register when they are raised tosubstantially vertical positions, so that if the keyway E is situated asshown at the rear part of the hole 01 the keyway F should be as shown atthe top part of the hole 6 and extending through the boss. At the side iof the boss, substantially opposite the shank O, the curvature of theboss is somewhat flattened relatively, so that in effect the pin-hole eis situated closer to the periphery of the boss at that side than at thebottom LL, this being for the purpose of permitting the pin G to enterfreely when the shafts are elevated, while preventing it from rattlingwhen in use, in connection with the spring L, provided for this purpose.

The coupling-pin Gis cylindrical and preferably of uniform diameter (andnecessarily so when the pin-holes are of equal diameter) and has asuitable headfat one end, preferably circular or of the button type. EX-tending along and projecting from the body of the pin G is a spline orpin-retainer H, which may be suitably formed integrally with the pin inforging it, the spline being equal to or of less length than thedistance between the ears B and B, and the pin itself is of such lengthfrom head to point to permit the point or end It to project slightlybeyond the ear farthest from the head when inserted in the holes d.Between the head f and the adjacent end of the spline or retainer H is aspace equal to the thickness of the ear B or B, in which is the keywayE, so that when the pin is inserted entirely in the holes cl it may berotated and carry the retainer with it between the inner faces of theears.

In order to prevent rattling of the coupling in use and to provide aconvenient support for the shaftswhen inserting the couplingpins and toprovide a gage for the holes as well, a spring L is formed so as to fitpartly around the boss D, the surface m conforming nearly to thecurvature of the boss or concave. The spring is formed as a part of abase-plate J, having perforations h It suitably located and adapted toreceive the bolt ends of the clip and is a continuation of the platefrom the forward end Z thereof, and preferably has a gooseneck K, whichmay connect the base and spring proper either at the back part thereof,as shown, or at the front part as a return-bend. The plate J may, andpreferably as shown, he of suflicient thickness and strength to comprisealso the binding-plate for the clip, or when made too thin for suchpurpose it may be connected either at the top or at the bottom of theclipplate, according to the amount of adjustment required. At one sideof the spring L is an integrally-connected smaller spring M, having areturn-bearing end 02, adapted to press closely against the outer sideof the car, as B, having the plain pin-hole d and at the front of thehole and engaging the end h of the pin when the latter is in workingposition. The spring M may, however, be separately formed and securedeither to the shank G or to the adjacent ear, its function being topress the pin partially back, so that the spline may engage the keyway Eautomatically when the thills are elevated until the spline registerswith the keyway. This also permits of the headf being firmly graspedwhen uncoupling the shafts.

In practical use the plate J is secured on the bolt ends of theaxle-clip approximately as shown in Fig. 6, so that the face m of thespring L is of proper height to support the weight of the thills whenelevated and place the pin-holes in alinement. The pin Gis then inserteduntil the head f bears against the adjacent ear B and held there whilethe thills are being lowered, the retainer then engaging the inner faceof the ear and preventing the Withdrawal of the pin until the thills areagain elevated, until the spline or retainer again registers with thekeyway E. When the shafts are in working positions, the fuller part a ofthe boss D bears hardest upon the spring-face m, thus preventingrattling of the connections, and also the spring m in constantlypressing the retainer against the ear tends to prevent rattling of thepin. In this construction connection and disconnection may be made withthe greatest facility and ease and the pin cannot become lost when inoperation and is therefore perfectly safe in use.

The boss above described is substantially an eccentric or a cam in whichthe axial hole is located closer to the periphery at one part of itsoperative surface thanat another. The term keyway should be understoodas referring to a suitable groove having sides adapted to be engaged bythe sides of the spline or retainer, while the top of the spline clearsthe bottom of the groove. When desired, the spline may be welded uponthe pin or it may be Welded into the body thereof.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination with an axle-clip havingclip-ears, a thill-iron boss, and a coupling-pin, of thebase-plate, thespring extending from the base-plate upwardly toward the bases of theclip-ears and then extending downwardly and forwardly below said boss,and the spring extending laterally and then upwardly from saidfirst-described spring, said two springs being integral.

2. In athill-coupling, the combination with the axle-clip having thebolt ends and the clip-ears, the thill-iron boss, and the coupling-pinadapted to have i'nterlockingengagement with said ears and said boss, ofthe baseplate, the spring extending upwardly from the base-plate towardthe bases of said ears and then extending forwardly, and the springextending'laterally and then upwardly from said first-described springand having the return-bearing end pressing against the end of said pin,said base-plate being supported by said bolt ends, substantially as setforth.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination with the axle, clip-ears, thethill-iron boss, and the coupling-pin, of the base-plate secured at thebottom of the axle and having the spring extending from the end thereofat the forward side of the axle and upwardly and then forwardly and thenlaterally and upwardly and terminating in a return-bearing pressingagainst the coupling-pin end, substantially as set forth.

at. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the axle, the clip, theclip-ears having the keyway, the boss having the keyway, the pin havingthe head at one end, the pin-retainer on said pin, the base-plate, thespring extending from the base-plate upwardly toward the bases of theclip-ears and then extending forwardly and having the branching springwe tending therefrom laterally and upwardly and having the return endbearing against the end of said pin opposite the head thereof, saidsprings and base-plate being integral, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The herein-described device for thill= couplings, consisting of thebase-plate, the spring extending from an end of the baseplate upwardlyand backwardly toward the base-plate and then forwardly or oppositely,and having the lateral branching spring extending therefrom horizontallyand then upwardly and having the return-bearing end at the top thereof,-as shown. g

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. BROOKS;

Witnesses:

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SILVIUS.

